Keir Starmer announces new police measures to tackle ‘thugs’ after riots

The PM called an emergency press conference this afternoon after meeting with police chiefs.

After a meeting with police chiefs from across the country, the prime minister announced a new strategy for forces to take on thugs who organise and carry out violent disorder.

"We will put a stop to it."

Sir Keir Starmer speaks at a news conference after "a gang of thugs" caused chaos in Southport after the stabbings of three girls earlier this week.
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"We will establish a national capability across police forces to tackle violent disorder," he said.

"These thugs are mobile - they move from community to community, and we must have a policing response that can do the same."

These measures will include greater shared intelligence between forces, wider deployment of facial recognition technology and new criminal behaviour orders to restrict people's movements.

He compared these proposed steps with the way police deal with football hooligans.

The leader of the country referred to the extremist groups believed to have been responsible for the unrest as "marauding mobs", and vowed to "provide answers" to the people of Southport.

Such "thugs" have "no interest whatsoever in the raw pain of the community in Southport", Sir Keir declared.

He said that his government "supports the police" and told those at the meeting they will get the "powers you need" to stop future riots.

"This is not a protest, this is violent disorder, and action needs to be taken."

He also delivered a message for social media companies, after misinformation about the Southport attack spread widely - which has been blamed for the subsequent riots.

"Violent disorder whipped up online - that is also a crime," he says.

"It's happening on your premises, and the law must be upheld everywhere."

The PM's statement follows riots and disorder in Southport, London, Hartlepool, Manchester, and elsewhere in recent days, following the knife attack in Southport which killed three children and injured several moire.

Earlier today, the teenage suspect was named as 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana.